


In Jewels and Steel

by ShadowEtienne



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dol Amroth, F/M, Gen, Genderqueer!Éowyn, Minas Tirith, Other, Rohan, friendship fic, my fondness for Dol Amroth is showing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowEtienne/pseuds/ShadowEtienne
Summary: Eowyn comes to Minas Tirith for good, and settling in is no easy matter.  Arwen is new and a bit lost in Minas Tirith as well.  Between them forms a great friendship, and Arwen is a friend to Eowyn be she Eowyn or he Dernhelm.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_dragongirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_dragongirl/gifts).



> Thank you the the marvelous @the_dragongirl for prompting me to write genderqueer/genderfluid Eowyn and the friendship that forms between Eowyn and Arwen. I hope you like it!

When Eowyn had first laid eyes on the Queen, Arwen Evenstar and Aragorn had been newly wed, and Eowyn had returned to Minas Tirith as part of the escort of their fallen king to his final rest.  Eowyn had wondered at the Queen then, tall and fair as though she had stepped forth from legend.  She seemed unapproachable, though kind.  Her brothers, also among those who feasted the return of the Riders of the Mark, seemed more approachable as they drank and traded stories with the men of both Rohan and Gondor.  The Queen sat beside Aragorn at the high table, to the other side of him from Faramir, dressed in fine silks with vibrant jewels strung about her.

They did not speak that day, or even in the days following, when they all rode out to return King Theoden to be buried beside his son and his forefathers.  Eowyn remained close beside Eomer in these days, speaking with the hobbits as well, especially Meriadoc, for he knew her as Dernhelm as well as Eowyn, and it was easier to not complicate matters with the entourage that followed Aragorn.

She returned to her dresses when she reached Meduseld, and it was there that she first spoke with the Queen.  Her brother had taken the throne in name with the burial of their uncle, and her trothplighting to Faramir had been proclaimed for all to hear.  As the celebrations and great rounds of drink had at last began to subside, Eowyn had retreated outdoors to stare at the White Mountains, standing between her and what would soon be her new home.

She had not known that someone had joined her until a rich, lyrical voice came from her right, “You seem thoughtful.  We shall become much acquainted in the coming times, White Lady of Rohan, soon to be Lady of Ithilien.”

Eowyn cringed internally at jumping at the sound, but she straightened her skirts about her and smiled at the Queen.  She said tentatively, “This shall be my last night for many years in the home of my childhood.”

The Queen laid a soft yet strong hand on her shoulder, and Eowyn was surprised to feel the calluses on the Queen’s hands that spoke of years of training with the sword.  Before she could ask of it, the Queen replied, “I understand.  It is different to leave to make another land your home, even if the home you are leaving will still be there to visit, it will never truly be home again.”

Eowyn looked up at her, into grey eyes that held understanding and kindness, and she smiled.  Perhaps the Queen was not so distant and strange, and Eowyn thought that she would be most pleased to learn more of the Queen in the coming years.

*********

The Queen and Aragorn had ridden onwards, escorting the hobbits and the Lords and Ladies of the Elves onwards, but Eowyn and Faramir had returned to Minas Tirith, for he needed to be at hand while the King was travelling to answer the needs of the city.  Eowyn fell into a rhythm, though not an entirely easy one, within the city walls.  In the mornings, as Dernhelm, he trained with the guard of the citadel by Faramir’s side, and much to his relief, Faramir was much pleased with this.  After they had taken their morning meal, Eowyn spent her day in the Houses of Healing, beginning to learn the craft of the healer, and in the evenings, she belonged to the court.

There was no great splendor in the court, for Minas Tirith had long been at war, and there was much to be done to repair the city.  There was a sense of life and hope that added much light and laughter to the city though, and seeing that made Eowyn glad to be there.  She did not know the ways of this court though, where she was the only one who sat at the high table who had not spent all of her years in the lands of Gondor.  She sat beside her betrothed though, listening and learning.

In the pair of months that Aragorn and his Queen were gone from their seat, Eowyn began to find her feet in Minas Tirith.  She understood many of the lines of supply and travel of people displaced by the war that Faramir was trying to maintain, and while she did not know the historical rivalries and friendships between the different great houses of Gondor, she could at least help with the maneuvering of resources.

In those days, she was surprised that she and Faramir were joined among the guard by all of Faramir’s Dol Amroth cousins, Elphir, who stood for his father on the Council of Lords, and Erchirion and Amrothos, who had stayed along with many of the Swan Knights to aid in rebuilding, did not surprise her, but along with them came Lothiriel, their younger sister, and Eowyn found it glad that there could be shield maidens among those of Gondor as well, though they were clearly few in these days.

Eowyn felt a sense of kinship towards Lothiriel, who seemed to follow a pattern similar to her own, and yet, Lothiriel was as at home in the courts of Minas Tirith as she was on horseback or behind sword and shield.  Lothiriel had a sense of restlessness that she recognized though, and after a time, she found the chance to talk to the Lady of Dol Amroth.

They were grooming their horses, near to each other in the stables below the innermost circle of the city, and after a length of silence, Eowyn asked, “I know that your brothers have duties in Minas Tirith.  Is it duty that keeps you here as well?  You seem to long to be elsewhere.”

Lothiriel looked up at Eowyn, clearly startled, and replied, “It is not that I wish to be elsewhere so much as that I wish to be useful.  My brothers command patrols and lead rebuilding efforts.  I train and spend my days with the healers, when my talents in healing are middling at best, and the need for healers in the city is slipping by the day, but there is nothing that would be entrusted to me, for my rank is not high enough to outstrip my gender, and I have no great feats of bravery to my name, though I defended our lands alongside my brothers.”

There was a bitterness and longing in Lothiriel’s voice that Eowyn knew all too well.  Eowyn continued to brush the horse’s flank though it was sufficiently groomed, but the horse seemed most pleased with the situation, and Eowyn did not want to break the moment.  At last, she replied, “You have served Dol Amroth and Gondor well.  I can see that, and you would be better than I at many of the tasks that I have taken to me, for you know these people and these lands well.”

Lothiriel looked at Eowyn, a hunger to be useful clear on her face, and asked, “Could I help you?”

As they worked over ledgers and tomes, figuring out the resources that would be needed in different parts of the realm, and which groups of refugees could be sent to which regions, they would at times speak of other things.  Lothiriel asked Eowyn about the lands of Rohan, and what life was like there.  She seemed disappointed to hear that while shield maidens were more common among the Rohirrim than among the Men of Gondor in these days, they were still few and far between.  One slow afternoon, not long before the King and Queen were to return, bringing Eowyn’s brother, King Eomer, with them, Lothiriel asked of Eowyn, “Why do you present yourself at the training fields as Dernhelm?  Everyone knows who you are, not like when you rode out with your uncle’s company, and yet you still take on that guise.”

Eowyn was startled by the question, for no one had questioned her on that choice.  Her voice was slow and uncertain at first as she replied, “It is not precisely a guise.  I am Dernhelm, and Dernhelm is me, and yet, when I am on the training fields, or riding on patrols, I am not Eowyn, the White Lady of Rohan, but instead, Dernhelm, Rider of the Mark.  Both are me, and yet, they are not the same.”

Lothiriel shuffled a paper across to Eowyn, looking contemplative, and she asked, “And do both love my cousin?”

Eowyn was startled at this turn of conversation, but she nodded firmly, “Most certainly.”

Lothiriel looked at Eowyn searchingly, and then she said, “Then I am glad, for my father long thought that my Cousin Faramir would not be one to find a wife, as my Aunt Ivriniel has not been one to find a husband.”

Eowyn was relieved that this discussion did not mar their companionable working, and she was more at ease with the switching between the roles of Dernhelm and Eowyn than she had been.  Eowyn did not miss the look of longing in Lothiriel’s eyes when she described the ways of the Mark, and a plan began to form in her mind.

*********

The King and Queen returned to Minas Tirith, bringing behind them the autumn fall of leaves.  Not long behind them came Eowyn’s brother and his entourage, for Eowyn’s wedding to Faramir was marked for the early autumn of the King’s return from escorting their guests to their borders.

Dernhelm was surprised when Queen Arwen Evenstar chose to join in their pattern, following the King to train with the Guard of the Citadel in the mornings.  At first, none of the Guard dared to stand against her in training, loath to be in a position to potentially offer harm or offense to the Queen.   Faramir and Lothiriel were already trading blows in a well practiced routine of sparring, and Dernhelm watched the indecision of the Guard before stepping up to the Queen and saying, “I will practice with you Your Majesty.”

The Queen smiled on Dernhelm, and then her eyes widened a bit in surprised recognition, smile returning quickly to her face. They started slowly, feeling out each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  Dernhelm could tell that the Queen had not had much if any experience in the field.  She was supremely well trained, and she knew her way about the practice swords that they were wielding, but there was a practiced pattern to her effortless grace, and as they sparred for longer, Dernhelm could see the openings that the pattern left.

Lightning quick, he twisted out of the way of the sweep of the sword, expected now, and stepped within the Queen’s guard, bringing his practice sword up to rest against her neck.  The Queen smiled and stepped back, lowering her sword, “You are very skilled.  I appreciate the bout, and see I have much to learn from the warriors of Minas Tirith and Riders of the Mark.”

Dernhelm smiled in return and replied, “You’re very fast my Queen, but you’re predictable.  You always use the same sweeping strike after the series of probing attacks, and all that I needed was to wait for the form to repeat itself.”

Aragorn laughed from beside him, and said, “Not everyone is fast enough to get within her guard.  I reckon that even having seen you do that, at least half the men here couldn’t do the same.”

Dernhelm lowered his head a bit, smiling still from the praise.

That afternoon, the Queen joined Eowyn and Lothiriel over their books and planning, and Eowyn started again to see her there.  She said, “I hope that I am not imposing, but Faramir suggested that I might be able to accustom myself to the ways of running a kingdom of Men best here.”

Eowyn smiled and told her, “Be welcome my Queen.  I too am learning the ways of Gondor, but Lothiriel has proved a most helpful and useful guide.”

The Queen smiled at her, and for many hours, they settled into the business of learning and running the kingdom that they had or would soon have married into.  At length, the Queen asked, “My lady, Eowyn, what would you have me call you when we meet on the training fields, for I had heard many of the men address you as Dernhelm there, including Faramir.”

Eowyn glanced at Lothiriel who smiled at her and nodded firmly, encouraging.  At last, she said, “I am Dernhelm when I am there generally, and Eowyn when I am here.  We are the same person, and yet, there is a difference.”

The Queen smiled on her and said plainly, “Then I shall strive to call you Eowyn when you are she, and Dernhelm when you are he.  There are those among my people who are the same.  I would have you call me Arwen though, for we are not to dissimilar, you and I, coming here from our distant homes.”

Eowyn smiled at Arwen then and said, “Thank you Arwen, my Queen.”

The running of the kingdom went on, but alongside it, Eowyn and Faramir prepared to be wed at the changing of the seasons, and Eowyn conspired with her betrothed and the King and Queen to place Lothiriel beside her brother at the wedding feast.

It was no hard feat, for the Princes of Dol Amroth played a great role in the wedding, Prince Imrahil standing in the role of Faramir’s father, a role that he had long held in spirit.  It was Eomer, as Eowyn’s only remaining family, who stood behind her, but it was Arwen and Lothiriel who had seen her dressed in great finery.

The celebration passed in a blur in Eowyn’s mind, but there were several moments that stood out for her before she and Faramir left their hosts to visit their home beginning to be built in Emyn Arnen for the fortnight after their wedding.  She saw Lothiriel and her brother talking, both animated and bright, and she hoped that she had perhaps found an answer to both of their needs.

*********

When they returned from their fortnight’s stay in Ithilien, it was to the news of Eomer and Lothiriel’s betrothal, and Eowyn felt a melancholy sort of gladness.  There was a fierceness and joy in Lothiriel’s face as she recounted her plans to Eowyn and Arwen as the three of them worked together that Eowyn was glad to see there, and Eowyn knew that Lothiriel would make her brother happy, and would not listen to any of his nonsense, but Eowyn would also be losing her first friend among the court of Minas Tirith, sending her on her way to fill the place of the Lady of Rohan that Eowyn had left.

It was in the dying of the year, with the birth of the next, that Lothiriel was wed to Eomer and rode forth to Rohan with him, proud and tall with her raven hair floating behind her as she rode the path opposite Eowyn’s.  When Eowyn returned to her work after Lothiriel’s departure, she found it was only herself and Arwen there.  She would have thought it would have been lonely, but there was a calm contentment between the two of them.

Their days faded together for a time, but Eowyn soon came to realize that perhaps the only person who she spent more time in the company of than the Queen, who she had once thought distant and strange, was her husband.  There was a symmetry to all of it though.  Faramir helped to serve and guide Aragorn, and together, Eowyn and Arwen muddled through the confusion of a new land.  Arwen helped Eowyn find the correct words for formal missives, for her grasp of Sindarin as used in the High Houses of Gondor was growing rapidly, but she was still known to pepper her Westron with Rohirric words.  Eowyn helped Arwen understand the needs and resources of the Men of Gondor, for she had only ever managed resources for Elves, who were far different in their needs.

One afternoon, she told Arwen, “I find myself feeling as though I am out of place for my mode of dress in the court.  There are many among the Council of Lords who ignore me and my station, as if they overlook me, and I find myself feeling that my dresses are perhaps too simple now that the court has grown in number and grandeur.”

Arwen’s eyes gleamed, and Eowyn wondered if she had perhaps made a mistake, but she found herself swept into a stream of fittings.  Arwen showed her fine cloths beyond her imagining, and she settled on a motif of green and white, a recollection of her home.  She was surprised when Arwen set aside similar but stronger cloths and said, “These will serve for new clothing for Dernhelm as well as for Eowyn, for it is a great pity for you to continue to wear the leftover clothing of your husband and brother when you become Dernhelm.”

During times where they might otherwise have been talking over their work, Arwen worked her way through Eowyn’s wardrobe with her, and they discarded much that Eowyn would have thought usable, bringing it to the Halls of Healing so that it could be distributed to those who needed it well.

With the coming of her naming day, Eowyn was stunned by an array of clothing and other gifts, none of them expected, and the final carefully tied package contained a complete set of armor of Rohan.  Arwen smiled at Dernhelm who clutched the hauberk to his breast and asked, “How?”

She wrapped an arm around Dernhelm’s shoulders and said, “I sent word to Lothiriel and your brother what I wanted to prepare, and I discussed with them via letter the best way to modify the armor.  The under leathers now have fastens such that they will help shape you better to the armor and yourself under it.”

Dernhelm could feel the tears beginning to gather in his eyes as he ran his fingers over the intricate green and white patterns that decorated the edges of the armor.  He said softly, “Thank you my Queen. I could ask for nothing greater.”

Arwen sat beside him and said softly, “I am glad it pleases you.  You have been my first and dearest friend in these lands, and I would see you happy.”

That night, Eowyn wore her new finery to the court for the first time, and with it, she wrapped herself in a sort of dignity she associated more with Arwen, always in her beautiful dresses.  Eowyn knew that she was not too different a person than she had been the day prior, but there was something about the rich cloths and shimmering green jewels that girdled her waist that made her feel more sure as she swept past the nobles of Gondor on Faramir’s arm.  There was a warmth to the pride with which he looked at her in her finery that aided the feeling of confidence as well.

Eowyn looked forward into her future in Gondor as the Lady of Ithilien, but also as Dernhelm, protector of the lands, rider of Emyn Arnen.  She knew above all that she had a friend who would watch out for her be she Eowyn or Dernhelm, and she knew that she would do all in her power to support the Queen, her friend.


End file.
